Apparatus for branding uniformlyshaped articles



March 27, 1962 J. J. MISKEL ETAL 3,026,792

APPARATUS FOR BRANDING UNIFORMLY-SHAPED ARTICLES INVENTORS JOHN J. 'MISKEL, JAMES E. FITZGERALD,JR.

4 Sheets-Sheet 1 8 CHARLES E. ACKLEY Filed Oct. 5, 1959 March 27, 1962 J. J. MISKEL ETAL APPARATUS FOR BRANDING UNIFORMLY-SHAPED ARTICLES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 EIIEIIEIE SEQ Filed Oct. 5, 1959 INVENTORS JOHN .1. MISKEL JAMES E. FITZGERALD, JR. a CHARLES E. ACKLEY BY Md gmffl ATTORNEYS March 27, 1962 J. J. MISKEL ETAL 3,026,792

APPARATUS FOR BRANDING UNIFORMLY-SHAPED ARTICLES Filed Oct. 5, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS JOHN Jv MISK J ES ITZGERALD,

CH LES EACKLEY BY M Z ATTORNEYS Mam}! 1962 J. J. MlSKEL ETAL 3,026,792

APPARATUS FOR BRANDING UNIFORMLY-SHAPED ARTICLES Filed Oct. 5, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS JOHN J. MISKEL, JAMES E.FITZGERALD,JR. 8| CHARLES E. ACKLEY- ATTORNEYS nitcd States This application relates to an automatic apparatus for branding small uniformly-shaped articles, and more par ticularly relates to an apparatus for branding such articles containing medicinal preparations.

The process of branding has been proposed as a means of marking gelatin capsules incorporating a medicament. However, existing apparatus for accomplishing this branding operation is relatively slow. Furthermore, none of this existing apparatus has been suitable for branding other types of small uniformly-shaped articles such as coated tablets incorporating medicinal preparations. These tablets are usually coated with sugar or sometimes with a polymeric film, and it has been very diflicult to imprint indicia upon them. This has been particularly true on sugar-coated tablets because the markings must be applied before the final wax polish, making it neces sary to use dry Wax to prevent smearing the ink. However, dry wax polishing is unsatisfactory because it is very difficult to uniformly distribute it over the tablet.

An object of this invention is to provide a simple and economical apparatus for dependably branding small uniformly-shaped articles at a relatively high rate of speed.

Another object is to provide such an apparatus which is particularly suitable for branding gelatin capsules.

A further object is to provide such an apparatus which is particularly suitable for branding tablets.

In accordance with this invention, an apparatus for automatically branding small uniformly-shaped articles includes a compartmented conveyor for carrying these articles at predetermined spaced intervals past a rotating cylindrical branding drum having rings of branding elements peripherally mounted upon its cylindrical surface. These branding elements move tangent and parallel to the surfaces of articles carried past it upon the conveyor. The spacing of the branding elements and conveyor compartments and their speed of movement are coordinated to cause successive branding elements within each band to contact and mark successive longitudinally aligned articles carried upon the conveyor. A band of branding elements is, accordingly, provided for each line of articles on the conveyor.

A heater is mounted adjacent the branding elements, for example, within the drum, to raise them to a temperature high enough to mark the articles without damaging them. The disposition of these branding elements about the periphery of the drum permits the amount of heat to be imparted to them to be precisely controlled as they travel on the portion of their path of movement which lies out of contact with the articles.

Furthermore, the substantially parallel synchronized movement of the branding elements and articles at their point of tangent contact permits the branding elements and articles to move smoothly into and out of contact with each other even though this apparatus operates at a relatively high rate of speed.

Novel features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art from a reading of the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in elevation partially broken away in atet cross-section of an embodiment of this invention for branding capsules;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view in elevation of another portion of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken through FIG. 3 along the line 4-4 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken through FIG. 4 along the line 5-5 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken through FIG. 5 along the line 6--6 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 7 is a view in elevation partially broken away in cross section of an embodiment of this invention for branding tablets;

FIGS. 8 and 9 are enlarged views of portions of the embodiment shown in FIG. 7; and

FIGS. 10-12 are views in elevation partially broken away in cross section of examples of tablets which have been branded upon the embodiment shown in FIG. 7.

Apparatus of FIGS. 1-6

In FIG. 1 is shown an apparatus 10 for branding small uniformly-shaped articles such as gelatin capsules 12 including a conveyor 14, for example, of the endless belt type including a series of compartmented carriers 16. Each carrier, for example, is a bar 16 including a series of egg-shaped pockets 15 having ends which are open in their direction of movement. Bars 16 are articulated upon an endless conveyor belt, for example, of the sprocket chain variety. Several rows of pocket-s 15 are incorporated upon conveyor 14, for example, fifteen in all, of which six are shown in FIG. 5.

A capsule feeding means 18 is mounted adjacent one end of conveyor 14 for filling compartments 15 in carriers 16 with capsules. Capsule feeding or supply means 18 includes, for example, a loading hopper 20 and a loading drum 22 connected by a transfer chamber 24. A rotating cylindrical loading brush 26 is mounted adjacent the surface of loading drum 22 near the outlet from transfer chamber 24 for urging capsules 12 into pockets 34 on the surface of loading drum 22.

Loading drum 22 is mounted parallel and tangent to the path of movement of conveyor 14, and it is rotated by a belt and pulley drive 30 connected to conveyor sprocket 32 by a pinion 33 meshed with a gear 35 concentrically secured to pulley 37. This synchronizes eggshaped pockets 34 spaced about the periphery of loading drum 22 with successive pockets 15 in carriers 16 of conveyor belt 14. A capsule 12 is, accordingly, deposited from each pocket 34 in loading drum 22 into each pocket 15 in carrier 16 as they pass close to each other at their position of substantial tangency. An arcuate retaining plate 36 is mounted adjacent the outer periphery of loading drum 22 to maintain capsules 12 inserted within pockets 34 as they are rotated upside down up to their point of tangency with the path of travel of carrier 16. Plate 36, accordingly, holds capsules 12 inserted within pockets 34 until they can drop into pockets 15 in carrier 16.

A cylindrical branding drum 40 is mounted adjacent the path of travel of conveyor 14 which is substantially longitudinal after leaving loading drum 22. Branding drum 40 is closely enough mounted to conveyor 14 to have its branding elements move tangent and parallel to the surfaces of capsules 12 as they move past it.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 branding drum or cylinder 40 incorporates a hollow cylinder '42, for example, made of T enz-alloy. Cylinder 42 has, for example, an

array of fifteen peripheral grooves 44 evenly spaced about its Cylindrical surface. However, only seven of them are shown in FIG. 3. Branding elements 46 are mounted peripherally about drum 40, for example, by incorporation in semicircular bands 48 which are mounted in pairs butted end to end within grooves 44. These bands are, for example, made of a relatively strong and hard heat conductive material capable of inscription or casting, for example, bronze; and markings appropriate for branding are inscribed upon branding elements 46 which protrude from bands 48.

' As shown in FIG. 3 a heating means 50 is disposed adjacent to drum 40 and branding elements 46, for example, by insertion within hollow cylinder 42. Heating means 50 incorporates a rod-shaped heating element 52 adjustably mounted upon bracket 54 by insertion within slot 56 and compression about its walls between a lock nut 58 and collar 60. Adjustment of rod 52 within slot 56 permits the heating effect of rod 52 upon element 46 to be varied.

Also mounted adjacent branding elements 46, for example, by insertion within drum 40 is a thermostatic temperature sensing element 62, for example, of the mercury bulb type which is, for example, nonadjustably mounted upon bracket 54 by lock nut 64 and collar 66.

A heat insulating element 68, for example, made of Transite is mounted a short distance from the end 70 of drum '40 and a series of holes 72 perforates the circumference of drum 40 between disc 68 and end 70. Disc 68 and holes 72 prevent excess heat from being transmitted from drum 40 to the flare of the machine through transmission means 74.

Transmission means 74 is, for example, a geared transmission which incorporates a drive gear 76 connected to shaft 78 which is attached to drum 40 through an adjustable flange 80 as shown in 'FIGS. and 6 by cap screws 82. Cap screws 82 pass through slots 84 in flange 80 and the angular position of drum 40 relative to drive means 74 may thereby be varied.

Drive means 74, as shown in FIG. 1, incorporates intermeshed gears 86, 88 and 90 which are connected to sprocket 92 which drives one end of conveyor 14. The main drive input to apparatus is applied through a belt 94 engaged with a pulley 96 coaxially secured to sprocket 92. Belt 94 also passes about an idler pulley 98 which is made fairly heavy, for example, to permit it to act as a flywheel. Belt 94 is driven by a motor not shown. All of the drive means associated with apparatus 10 are driven from the single power input through belt 94, and each phase of this apparatus is thereby coordinated to permit individual pockets and branding surfaces to be synchronized and coordinated with each other.

Summary of Operation of Apparatus of FIG. 1

Gelatin capsules 12 are delivered from hopper 20 through transfer chamber 24 to pockets 34 within loading drum 22 and urged into pocket 34 therein by loading brush 26. Capsules 12 are maintained inserted within pockets 34 by retaining plate 36 until they lie in a position directly over a compartment or pocket in a carrier 16 disposed substantially tangent and beneath loading drum 22.

Capsules 12 are then carried under and tangent to branding elements 46 on branding drum 40 which are maintained substantially at optimum branding temperature, for example, in a range of from 200-250" F. by heating element 50 and temperature control element 62 connected thereto by a control circuit (not shown). The tangent relationship provided by the substantially parallel movement of branding elements 46 and capsules 12 permits an unexpectedly great amount of capsules to be branded for each rotation of drum 40. For example, as many as a half-million capsules may be branded per hour in comparison to the 12,000 to 50,000 capsules branded per hour by prior art apparatus. The branded capsules are accordingly discharged in unprecedented numbers from the end of conveyor 14 beyond branding drum 40.

Apparatus of FIGS. 7-12 In FIG. 7 is shown an apparatus which is similar to apparatus 10 in FIG. 1 with the exception that it is intended for branding tablets 112 instead of gelatin cap sules 12. Tablets 112 are, for example, of the sugarcoated type shown in FIG. 8 incorporating an outer sugar layer 114 and an inner sugar layer 11 6 as well as relatively thin coats of shellac, gelatin and wax, not herein described. The portions of apparatus 110 identical to apparatus 10 are not redescribed; however, portions particularly adapted for use with tablets are discussed in the following.

Apparatus 110 accordingly includes a tablet feeding means which is mounted adjacent one end of conveyor 14 for filling tablet carriers 118 with tablets. Feeding means 120 includes, for example, a loading hopper 122, a transfer drum 124 and a loading drum 126. A rotating cylindrical loading brush 128 is mounted adjacent the surface of transfer drum 124 near the outlet from hopper 1-22 for urging tablets 112 into radial pockets 130 on the surface of transfer drum 124.

Transfer drum 124 is mounted parallel and tangent to loading drum 126. Intermeshing gears and 127, mounted concentrically with these drums, provide the proper rotation and are in turn driven through pinions 134 by change gear 131 mounted coaxially with conveyor sprocket 132. This synchronizes radial pockets on transfer drum 124 with tablet-shaped pockets 136 spaced about the periphery of loading drum 126. Pockets 136 are synchronized in turn with successive pockets 138 in tablet carriers 118 of conveyor belt 14. A tablet 112 is, accordingly, transferred from each radial pocket 130 on drum 124 to each pocket 136 on drum 126; and from each pocket 136 a tablet is subsequently deposited in each pocket 138 of conveyor 14 as they pass close to each other at their point of substantial tangency. Arcuate retaining plates 140 and 142 are mounted adjacent the outer periphery of transfer drum 124 and loading drum 126, respectively, to maintain tablets 112 inserted within pockets 130 and 136 as they are rotated upside down to the respective transfer positions.

A tablet carrier 118 of conveyor 14 constructed and arranged for receiving and carrying tablets 112 is shown in detail in FIG. 8 and it incorporates a pocket or recess 138 which has cylindrical walls 144 and a rounded bottom 146 similar in shape to a standard medicinal tablet 112.

Branding drum 40a is similar in all respects to branding drum 40 of FIG. 1; however, its shaft 78a is suspended from an adjustable mounting 150 shown in detail in FIG. 9 which incorporates a frame 152 having a pair of vertical rails 154 upon which a bearing block 156 may be adjusted vertically. A compression spring 158 bears upon the bottom of the block and an adjusting screw 160 is engaged with the upper portion of frame 154 and bears against block 156 to permit the vertical position of drum 40a to be varied and the depth of penetration of branding element 46a into tablets 112 to be correspondingly varied.

In FIG. 10 is shown a tablet 112a which has passed through apparatus 110 with adjusting means 150 set to cause branding elements 46a to penetrate through outer colored coating 114a to imprint thereon a distinguishing indicia. This marking is unaffected by subsequent wax coating and unexpectedly provides a sharp and clear marking upon a sugar-coated tablet. This penetration is unexpectedly achieved by local melting of the sugar coating by hot branding element 46a. The temperature of the branding element is regulated to soften or melt the sugar coating without casing it to caramelize or turn brown. The temperature required will be determined both by the melting temperature of sugar which is approximately 160 C. and the duration of contact of the branding element with the coating. This marking is all the more remarkable in view of the impossibility of providing it by embossing the tablet core in the press because the sugar-coated operation fills up any pits or depressions in the core and obliterates them.

In FIG. 11 is shown another tablet 11212 in which the depth of penetration has been adjusted to cause indicia 11% to penetrate the second or inner sugar coating 116b which is, for example, of a color contrasting with the outer coating 11417 to provide a marking which contrasts in color with the outer surface of the tablet. The outer coating may accordingly be of some bright color such as red and the inner coating of the usual white color or some other contrasting color such as yellow.

This apparatus and process of marking may also be applied to tablets coated with material of synthetic film forming polymers, gums and other substances such as polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl alcoholacetate, polyacrylamide, polyvinyl methyl ether, polyethylene oxide, polyvinyl acetate-stearate, hydroxyethyl cellulose, sulfonated polystyrene, hydrolyzed maleic anhydride-vinyl acetate copolymers, polyamides, polyacrylic acid and its salts, polyvinylpyrrolidone, alginates, guar gum, zein and others, as well as their mixtures with waxes, gelatin, and the like. A marked tablet 112s of this type is shown in FIG. 12 with the brand extending into synthetic coating 1140.

This application is a continuation-in-part of our copending application for Apparatus for Branding Gelatin Capsules filed January 12, 1959, and bearing Serial No. 786,081, now abandoned.

Wherever the term branding is employed herein, it is intended in the sense of marking an object by the local application of heat.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for branding indicia upon the surface of small uniformly-shaped articles comprising a conveyor including spaced longitudinally aligned compartments for carrying said articles, a hollow cylindrical drum incorporating projecting branding elements, said drum being mounted above said conveyor with said branding elements disposed in substantially tangent contact with the surfaces of articles carried past them upon the upper surface of said conveyor, the spacing between said branding elements being coordinated with the spacing between said compartments to permit successive branding elements to contact successive longitudinally aligned articles carried upon said conveyor, drive means connected to said conveyor and said cylindrical drum for rotating said drum and moving said articles past it at coordinated speeds which cause successive branding elements to contact successive articles, heating means disposed adjacent said drum for maintaining said branding elements at a temperature which permits them to brand said indicia upon said articles as said elements momentarily pass into said substantially tangent contact with said articles, said heating means being inserted within said drum, said heating means being comprised of a heating rod, and radially adjustable means mounting said rod within said drum to permit its heating eifect upon said branding elements to be varied.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein a thermostatic sensing element for controlling said heating means is also inserted within said drum.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said conveyor includes an array of longitudinally aligned rows of compartments for moving lines of articles past said branding drum, and said branding drum includes rings of branding elements disposed about the periphery of said drum in alignment with said rows of compartments.

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said drum includes peripheral grooves corresponding in numher to said rows of compartments, and said branding elements are mounted upon circular strips securely attached within said grooves to the surface of said drum.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means mounting said drums is adjustable relative to said compartments for varying the depth of penetration of said branding elements into the surface of said articles.

6. An apparatus for branding indicia upon the surface of small uniformly-shaped articles comprising a conveyor including spaced longitudinally aligned compartments for carrying said articles, a hollow cylindrical drum incorporating projecting branding elements, said drum being mounted above said conveyor with said branding elements disposed in substantially tangent contact with the surfaces of articles carried past them upon the upper surface of said conveyor, the spacing between said branding elements being coordinated with the spacing between said compartments to permit successive branding elements to contact successive longitudinally aligned articles carried upon said conveyor, drive means connected to said conveyor and said cylindrical drum for rotating said drum and moving said articles past it at coordinated speeds which cause successive branding elements to contact successive articles, heating means disposed adjacent said drum for maintaining said branding elements at a temperature which permits them to brand said indicia upon said articles as said elements momentarily pass into said substantially tangent contact with said articles, said hollow drum being rotatably supported from one end, and a heat-insulating baflle being inserted within the supported end of said drum for preventing transmission of heat beyond said supported end of said drum.

7. An apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said insulating baffle is comprised of a disc which is disposed a short distance from said supported end of said drum, and the surface of said drum between said disc and said support end is perforated to help heat created within said drum to escape.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,331,790 Venge Feb. 24, 1920 1,638,626 Fox Aug. 9, 1927 2,308,117 Snyder Jan. 12, 1943 2,340,354 Wells Feb. 1, 1944 2,756,669 Hoffman July 31, 1956 2,785,786 Bartlett Mar. 19, 1957 2,844,094 Gruver July 22, 1958 2,859,689 Ackley Nov. 11, 1958 

